Joe Simon dies

Joseph Henry «Joe» Simon (October 11, 1913 – December 14, 2011) was an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics. With his partner, artist Jack Kirby, he co-created Captain America, one of comics' most enduring superheroes.

Photo: Simon at the 2006 New York Comic Con with a fan dressed as Captain America, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:JoeSimonatNYComicCon2006.jpg

1974 Comic Art Convention program, reprinting Simon’s original 1940 sketch of Captain America, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1974ComicArtCon_book.jpg

About Joe Simon

Joseph H. «Joe» Simon (born October 11, 1913) is an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. With his partner, artist Jack Kirby, he co-created Captain America, one of comics‘ most enduring superheroes, and the team worked extensively on such features at DC Comics as the 1940s Sandman and Sandy the Golden Boy, and co-created the Newsboy Legion, the Boy Commandos, and Manhunter.

Simon & Kirby creations for other comics publishers include Boys‘ Ranch, Fighting American and The Fly. In the late 1940s, Simon and Kirby created the field of romance comics, and were among the earliest pioneers of horror comics.

After Joe Simon created Captain America at his legendary Simon and Kirby Studios, Simon became the first Editor-in-Chief of the company now called Marvel. Simon also created Fighting American and Boys‘ Ranch among a host of cartoon characters that have been treasured by generations of avid and loyal fans worldwide.

As Marvel Comics noted in their recent best-selling hardcover book of the authors‘ 1950 masterpiece, Fighting American, «Joe Simon and Jack Kirby are quite possibly the most successful collaborators in the history of comics…Their influence on the comics field is still powerfully felt today.»

The New York Times Book Review acclaimed Simon and Kirby as «AWESOME CREATIVE FORCES.» Their works have been republished in many upscale publications.

Joe Simon invented the prototype of the original Spider-Man, the Romance Comics genre, the original Fly, Stuntman, Black Magic, and The Shield, to name a few. He founded SICK Magazine, provided publications and art for the U.S. Olympic Committee and other national associations. As director of Research and Development for Harvey Comics, he helped develop Casper the Friendly Ghost, Richie Rich, Baby Huey, and other favorites of children and parents.

In the 2000s, Simon turned to painting and marketing reproductions of his early comic book covers. Simon in 2007 appeared in various news media in response to Marvel Comics announced «death» of Captain America in Captain America vol. 5, #25 (March 2007), stating, «It’s a hell of a time for him to go. We really need him now.»

Source: http://www.joesimonstudio.com/about.html

More:

http://www.joesimonstudio.com/

http://www.simoncomics.com/

http://www.comicartville.com/victorfoxpg2.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Simon

http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/0,1518,804060,00.html